iOS 4.3 Mobile Hotspot

iOS 4.3 Mobile Hotspot

I have unlimited on my iphone 4! I want the hotspot feature coming next week and don't know how they will charge me! Will i get prorated for 1 gb or will they change my plan automatically when i toggle the feature on in setting? Anyone who is a developer (cause you have the feature in 4.3 beta already) that has/had unlimited let me know what happens. Thanks!

Re: iOS 4.3 Mobile Hotspot

Kwopau wrote:

I think someone mentioned it but might say it again. If you are on Unlimited Data plan, the hotspot WILL not work at all. Even if you do turn it on, it will ask you to call AT&T that you need a plan that requires Hotspot to work, which is the Tethering plan. Once you switch to a tethering plan, you will lose that Unlimited Data plan and can never go back to it.

My two cents, I would be happy to have the option keep my unlimited data plan for my phone, and add the $20 tethering charge for 2GB, limited to tethering or mobile hotspot. Total cost would be $50. I think that this is the option offered by VZW, and would like to see AT&T match the competition.

Re: iOS 4.3 Mobile Hotspot

I would like to have the tethering for those (relatively few) occasions where I need laptop access, when I'm out and about. But it's not something I want to pay a monthly fee for. I'd use it way too infrequently to justify an ongoing cost. Maybe I'd even consider giving up my unlimited and going with the 4 gb they're offering, but for the same price I'm paying. But no way I'd give up my unlimited, downgrade from unlimited to 4 gbs, AND pay more. That's just insane.

Re: iOS 4.3 Mobile Hotspot

SLIKRICK wrote:I would like to have the tethering for those (relatively few) occasions where I need laptop access, when I'm out and about. But it's not something I want to pay a monthly fee for. I'd use it way too infrequently to justify an ongoing cost. Maybe I'd even consider giving up my unlimited and going with the 4 gb they're offering, but for the same price I'm paying. But no way I'd give up my unlimited, downgrade from unlimited to 4 gbs, AND pay more. That's just insane.

Pretty much where I am. It is something that would be occasionally useful to me, but not often. And certainly not worth giving up an unlimited data plan, and then paying more for.

Re: iOS 4.3 Mobile Hotspot

SLIKRICK wrote:But no way I'd give up my unlimited, downgrade from unlimited to 4 gbs, AND pay more. That's just insane.

And yet, it's cheaper than the cost of buying a MiFi and service to go with it, along with your iPhone plan.

Which is the comparison no one seems to want to make.

If you *need* mobile hotspot, then your choices are MiFi or add it to your iPhone plan. Adding it to your iPhone plan is cheaper in up front costs, and in recurring monthy costs. Unless you are on unlimited and actually using more that 2GB/mo in data now, then you'd probably be better off cost wise just getting a MiFi.

Re: iOS 4.3 Mobile Hotspot

I downloaded ios 4.3 today and changed my unlimited plan to the 4GB plan so I could have the hotspot.

It works but is real sloooooow! I ran speedtest.net and got 1.02 download and .06 upload. I had all my 3g bars.

I wonder if it is just me - or did others get slow results also?????

Disappointed so far in Virginia. Peter

The reason why it's slow is because you're using tethering, which is more like leeching into multiple devices. They may also have throttling going on since laptops use lots and lots of data.

Virginia - Yeah. I agree with you there. I hardly have good reception even in DC. Arlington's Pentagon doesn't even do cellular calls. I even reported the Holocaust museum as unable to do 3G and calls several times.

Re: iOS 4.3 Mobile Hotspot

I downloaded ios 4.3 today and changed my unlimited plan to the 4GB plan so I could have the hotspot.

It works but is real sloooooow! I ran speedtest.net and got 1.02 download and .06 upload. I had all my 3g bars.

I wonder if it is just me - or did others get slow results also?????

Disappointed so far in Virginia. Peter

The reason why it's slow is because you're using tethering, which is more like leeching into multiple devices. They may also have throttling going on since laptops use lots and lots of data.

Virginia - Yeah. I agree with you there. I hardly have good reception even in DC. Arlington's Pentagon doesn't even do cellular calls. I even reported the Holocaust museum as unable to do 3G and calls several times.

Wow. For me in DC area and N VA my service has been tops. My downloads has been above 2 in 99 percent of the areas I go to. Actually, tests done by independent sources found that AT&T. Tops the others in DC metro area.

Re: iOS 4.3 Mobile Hotspot

This is exactly what I would like to see. Need the tethering on occassionally for light data,

AT&T can make some extra money off of me and keep me happy at the same time.

21stNow wrote:

My two cents, I would be happy to have the option keep my unlimited data plan for my phone, and add the $20 tethering charge for 2GB, limited to tethering or mobile hotspot. Total cost would be $50. I think that this is the option offered by VZW, and would like to see AT&T match the competition.

Re: iOS 4.3 Mobile Hotspot

artbytes wrote:I wouldn't need the hotspot feature every month. Is it possible to have the $25 plan most of the time, but switch to the $45 tether plan for just the months I would be traveling?

Yes, you can change your data plan at any time between any of the 3 currently available plans. You can choose to have it start on a specific data or back date it to the beginning of your billing cycle.

Re: iOS 4.3 Mobile Hotspot

Well, I went on my employer's FAN, and all that did was drop the cost of the iphone data plan $5 a month, and my upgrade eligibility data moved from 18 months to 21 months. That was the only change that occurred when my date got pushed. No change in voice plan, no change in texting.